In a known technique for the automated storage and retrieval system (Japanese Patent Publication No. 1992-292312), a mast for elevating and lowering a transfer apparatus is provided to face a carousel, the carousel is rotated for orienting a desired rack opening toward the transfer apparatus, and the transfer apparatus is elevated and lowered to the height of a target shelf. In the automated storage and retrieval system, the article can be retrieved from, and stored in an arbitrary rack opening of the carousel. However, since the transfer apparatus and an elevation mechanism for the transfer apparatus are wide in the height direction, dead spaces may be created along the height direction of the rack, and the desired storage efficiency in the automated storage and retrieval system cannot be achieved.